Meadow Lights 2007

This is one of our favorite places to go each year. It is a small, but a fun little family place that is just full of fun and Christmas cheer! It's in a little town called Meadow, NC! They have an awesome train ride, a old time candy store, and Santas house! It really is a beautiful place!

Before we go for the train ride through the lights, it is always fun to grab a snack and hot chocolate :-) Makes the winter so warm!

It's important to dress warm, because it always seems colder there too.....it's that magic of Christmas that keeps it fun!

Even before the candy store, it is the train ride that the kids get so excited about. It really is a wonderful display.

Just a small view of what we ride around through :-)

Matthew was easy to see Santa, and knew just what he wanted!

Zachary we had to come back after the train ride, and Santa had to bribe him with a Lollipop! The power of the lollipop..........gotta love it! And consistently for the last few weeks all he has asked for is a "blue fast car". Well a little talk with Santa myself, and it has been arranged LOL!

Gobble Gobble Gobble!

Hello Everyone! Just want to wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving. Just so you know I am still alive and well.....LOL, just really busy here lately. There seems to be more things to do then time to do them....(stop crying Carol)....that's everyones life :-) So since Halloween, I just want to update you all on what I've been doing!

First I finally figured out the altered lunch tins, still haven't quite finished it, not sure if I want my name or cards or recipes on it. LOL Too many options I know. And even though I used flowers on this tin, I'm not real flowery, so I have to figure out what I want to put on top






Then I went to Ritas house and she gave me the directions, and paid a visit to Jennys blog and seen them there too, I was inspired to put my stuff to work! Well I just fell in love and had all the stuff so I ventured to this......and this is the one that captured my stamp clubs attention. They didn't want to see what I was teaching anymore, they wanted to learn these so I gave them the quick run down ;-)


Then I was back at Jennys blog again.......and seen her bows. Well the first few I did looked more like balls....yes I'm not kidding so with patience and practice this was the end result! So I decided with our paper special this month, to sell these at my craft fair.....they were a hit!



And what gift would be complete without a gift tag....well ask me about 570, yes that is 500 + tags later....I'll just write the name on the wrap next year.......just kidding! I did most of these on my hour and half journey everyday through carpool! They were fun!

Then.......after the treat sacks I sent in for halloween, which Matthews class just loved, I had to do something for Thanksgiving right! So I put these together yesterday (yes....you know the day before) and just fell in love with the end result! If I had more time I would have added more feathers and feet......but that's what procrastination gets you LOL! So here are my scrap punch turkeys with sticky strip (yes I ran out of snail) can you believe it.....UPS must hurry....I have cards to make LOL!


So enjoy, I will see you all after Thanksgiving! I will have anywhere from 10-12 people here to eat so I will be starting prep today (yeah you know it wind up being tomorrow or later....hush) Have a great time with your family and friends......and remember.....holiday pounds don't count so eat happy!

Post Halloween!

Boo! Well this is a quick one guys! I have to get back to making my tags......but want to keep you up to date on what's new! I am going to a name frame class on Thursday that I am very excited about (it's with Rita, and I just know I'll learn something new), then Thursday night I have a class, then I have classes at my house next week that are getting slam full.....yeah! And the next craft fair is next week..........eeeeekkkk.......it was sneaky and came up while we weren't looking......so I am knee deep in tags, bows, and cards, and anything else we can sell......Yeah! I did want to post the cute little treat bags I sent into Matthews class.......yeah, that was last minute too......at 11pm the night before I did them LOL. I do my best work last minute! Enjoy, I'll be back soon!

this one here we made at stamp club last month and was just too cute too leave out!

Happy Halloween!

This has been a very weird halloween experience. Never in my life have people broke it up into neighborhoods, but welcome to NC! Last night our town sponsored trick or treat, and tonight they did it in the neighborhoods! Anyway, here are the pictures we took last night!

This is the family taken courtesy of a complete stranger that just really thought our Bob the Builder was adorable! He really was cute!

This was Matthew before we left the house LOL! I told him Soldiers were serious and didn't smile......so this was him trying to have his serious face! hee hee hee. I think he looked bored! And probably tired of pictures, but he'll thank me someday :-)

We drive by this fire truck every time we go into Fuquay (it has a cool American flag in the front...wish I'd taken a picture), and everytime Zachary hollers "fire truck, fire truck"......we'll ask and you shall receive. The firemen let him in the truck.....he was scared at first, but then it was cool!

This was out at the Depot Square in Angier, the town including the Fire Department, Police Department, library and local business give out candy as a safe for kids trick or treat! Notice the cute little Bob the Builder costume.....thanks to my sister Maureen for making the awsome shirt (that she hand stamped because we couldn't find one), and hard hat with tool belt (tools included), and the great uniform for Matthew. He actually wears this pretty regularly!

These are my three musketeers: Nolan, Matthew, and Matt! They have been buds for a while now since they were all on the same basket ball team, and funny they all showed up at the same time - ha.....go figure. They had such a blast hanging out........as they usually do.

What I've been up too!

My dear sister will not quit bugging me to update and post, and I have been very busy with some wonderful things happening in my life right now........I will go into that soon :-) But here are some of the projects that I have been making for the craft festivals and cards I have been demonstrating at shows. Enjoy!

The candles were actually so much easier than I thought they would be, and make sure wonderful gifts too. This will be one of the projects I will be doing at the Quick Christmas Gift in the begining of December, so watch for the email. You can RSVP now too if you would like :-) Just email me!








This is my Witching You.......I love the simplicity of this card and I only used our basic black ink pad, one stamp set and a punch. So much fun!!!!!!!!




This was so easy and so much fun...I used the designer series paper to do all the work. By the way..........keep an eye for that paper sale coming next month. You can make these too :P I am actually going to use this exact card for my Thanksgiving Invitations this year......who wants to come.........Yum FOOD!















And yes I always say my favorite, but what stamper would have just one favorite????? hello......that's why we are stampers right! LOL This is from our Merry and Bright set and I just absolutely do love it! It's great for cards, gift tags, and scrapbooks. Too easy!







Well have fun and keep watching for the next post!

Here they are! And Christmas is coming.....

Hello hello hello! I have missed you all so much! It has been one thing after another, but I guess it always is right! LOL Zachary was sick for a week with a fever.......then I got it......thought it was the same thing.......but I'm running 12 days now with a low grade. But it's dropping :) Here is what I've been up to! I know I said no more craft fairs..........but, I am making some wonderful contacts through these events! So I have been working on some different cards to sell! And getting ready for another one! hee hee hee!

Near and far follow his star! What a wonderful saying! I used Star Studded Season, from our Holiday Mini Collection.

These are from the Festive Favorites stamp set. I love this set. It has snowmen, and Christmas trees and reindeer all on one stamp and you can use them together or all three seperately too, and they come with coordinating tags. Too cute!

And who couldn't love Frosty! He's just too.......I guess perfect. I love this little guy. And using this whole window technique was just too much fun! Really opens the doors to some awsome ideas!

And who wouldn't love a simple kind word......Joy! Snow does make me think of joy, or should I say be joyful. Think of how giddy you feel when you see it start to snow, and how pretty the snowflakes are..........I think I just miss the weather up north LOL!

But this is what I've been up too.........so now I chanllenge you! What will you do for Christmas? Some of these cards will be included on my Christmas card classes as well so call me details!

All About Us!

I have to show you all that we really do clean up well occasionally LOL! This is from the beginning of September we went to a friends wedding. We had a blast but quickly realized we should have left little monster boy with a sitter! hee hee hee But they are just too cute not to show off! And Zachary is looking so much more like his Daddy these days. Everyday as I am watching him grow he is changing. Both of their little personalities are developing! They are so funny!

Okay, so this has nothing to do with stamping. LOL I will post some pics in a few days. My dear sweet friend Rita has given us a camera since ours was stolen. So now we can take pics again! Thanks bunches Rita! So here we are. All cleaned up LOL!

Darby's Blackbelt Day!!!!

You Go Girl! You Make Me Proud!


This is a case off of my sisters website, but I am so very proud of my niece. She absolutely loves Tae Kwan Do, and she is doing a wonderful job! I am so very very proud of her. She does this weekly with the entire family. They all participate, and she is the first to get her black belt.

So if I have any problems.......I'll just call my little black belt to beat them up LOL! If you go to my sisters blog, M.A. Family you can see more pictures of her testing day. Just to see her so focused and strategic. She is my little all star! There couldn't be a more proud moment for my little girl (yes, she's my sisters daughter, but I don't have one of my own so I claim her)

Still Puttin Along

Hi guys! Sorry I haven't blogged in few days. Zach has been off on convention for work this week, and it has been insane.........remind me why I am still sane! (Yes, Maureen and Steph, I am still considered sane) I would post pictures, but one of the lovely people in Las Vegas with my husband has decided that they needed our digital camera more then we did. So long to all of our lovely pics from the summer :-) Yes, this is only reading politely. I was lit up yesterday when I found out. I actually wished the whole book of Job on the person who has it, and I am not kidding! But.........between my dear mother in law and my Rita bud.......spending much time calming me yesterday.........I am done screaming. But it will be awhile until I can post pics again.......sorry!

Rita and I are doing the Lillington Craft festival this weekend, so if you are with nothing to do this weekend, come support us from 9-4. We'll be there :-) You can get some really good ideas, and see all the hard work we have been putting into this! Well, I don't know if I can really say hard.......but it was work! Also, don't forget Crop for the Cure is coming up on the 29th. It is not too late to come, let me know and I will put you intouch with Rita!

Tonight Stacy and I have soccer practice. We have decided to coach the team this year......as if we needed anything else to take on right! I don't know if you should feel sorry for the kids, or for us..............I'll let ya know! LOL.......What would there be to do with out a packed schedule and trying to figure out if you're coming or going LOL!

Well .......as soon as I can I will post some more pics! Have a great day.

Babies Babies Everywhere!

I have recently found out that several of my friends are expecting, which inspired this card! I'll keep you all in mind when I send the cards :P But I created it with both little baby girls and boys in mind! It was done both in bashful blue and pretty in pink! And they both just came out awesome. I love the aqua painters hee hee hee! It has really inspired me to take my water coloring to a new level. So........I know I've been promising the Christmas pics.....but not quite yet! Have a great day!

And that sweet little puppy of ours is now 6 lbs, and not so tired anymore in the middle of the night. I feel like I just had a baby myself again. I think we got more sleep with Zachary, and this morning I found myself trying to read the whining........was she just mad.....or did she need to go out. Last night I finally asked Zach why we did this again LOL! We rock, paper, scissored in bed who would get up with her......and I'm not kidding!

Our New Addition!

As everyone knows our dear dog Georgia died about two weeks ago. The house was feeling a lot empty as we all missed her. On our way home yesterday from church, we seen a little boy holding a sign "Puppies, free to a good home" I quickly told Zach no........and he said, they are labs.......I said we'll pray about it.....if there are any left after church, we'll stop and see. Well, we prayed, we left church, we walked up to the house, and who was there.......As a new addition to our family, I give you Libby! She is such a sweet little puppy! She is seven weeks old, and is a lab chow mix. She is very very playful. Matthew is just adoring her. He is even taking all the care of her (at least trying to :-) So here she is.....our new little one!

She had so much fun (not) being bathed to death! We bathed her six times yesterday to get the fleas off her. Poor little puppy was so tired after that......she had no problem sleeping right through her first night with her new family! We are so very proud of her :P She's even doing really well potty training. I almost have her house broke........wish Zachary would house break that easy LOL! So I will keep you all posted on her growing bigger the next few months!

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas!!!!!

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas!!!!! Atleast around here! I am so excited....Some of my new stamp sets came in yesterday from SU, and OMG! I forgot they were die cut......so wonderfully easy to put together....and last night in about 10 minutes (about 5 of it ohing and ahing) I put together my two new sets and sat down and put together my ideas!

I am doing two shows in the next few weeks and I can't wait! My dear friend Rita and I are doing a craft show in the middle of September and crammed our ideas yesterday. And I am so extemely excited I almost can't contain myself......but come on winter and Christmas! Last night when I finally went to bed alittle after 11pm, I still could not go to sleep........ideas were just a swirling! So I think from this point on, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

As soon as I have these all done......I will post pictures! Hee hee hee. But I can't start working till after the kid-os go home tonight! LOL

Sisters & Friends!!!

I am so excited! This weekend my sister is in town......again! This is the third time this month that I am getting to hang out with her and the family! We don't always get enough time to stamp so we are hoping to get to that this weekend! She already made a goofy orange and white ladybug (she says retro, I say she's weird) tonight before we went to Sunny Skies for gelato. That turned out to be a bad idea........but the ice cream was awesome as always. Some little kid a little older then Zachary walked right up to my nephew not once, but twice and kicked him in the shin....mean little kid, then Matthew fell on his head while they were playing tag. We decided it was time to go home. So now we play on the blog before we get the kid-os ready for bed.......then maybe we can get some stamping done since we have no bed time, and no where to be tomorrow :-) Sounds like my kind of day. Jenny would say this is the break I've been needing, and I say she is correct :P So have a great weekend, and I will try to post some pics if we actually make anything! LOL

Quick Birthdays!

For those of us that have kids, and work and anything else going on in our life know that we sometimes must fly by the seat of our pants. Last week I had to go to a birthday party that was sort of last minute on our part (my fault). I had my day overbooked as I almost always do (this is why Jenny keeps telling me to take a vacation) :P Anyway I literally had less then 5 minutes from the time I walked in the door before we had to walk out. ***We had to come home to pick up the gift**** That I didn't have wrapped.....Thank God for SU Wheels. I literally was able to get back out the door in the time I had allowed us not to be late.....and even had a second to potty ;) This is the bag I made! Christmas will be easy this year....hee hee hee haa haa haa hoo hoo hoo! And yes, I did take a second to take the snapshot too, and was still not late LOL!

Fall Card Class!

I had my fall card class today! We had such a good time. These are the cards we created. Lots of good techniques, and beautiful earth elements......they are my favorites of all the color families.

Simple easy and elegant! I love how the dazzling diamonds just add that extra wow! Give it a ribbon and you have an awsome card.

Earth elements go well with the new In-Color too! The go well with all of the colors anyway, but I just love how this one turned out!
Simply Said, it's elegant! So easy and basic to put together!
The always favorite....loads of love! So very - loads of fun :P
All Through the Year this set is awsome.....always an occasion that these can be used!

Say Cheese!

We have found the secret to getting little ones to eat! Who knew it was so easy. We've been fighting the whole meat thing with Zachary since day one. But this little man loves to smile! So tonight my genius husband says to Zachary.....smile....let me see your teeth......oh, let me see your tongue, he'd open up his little mouth and Zach would pop the chicken in. And he'd laugh and realize we got him. We'd give him a high five, and two seconds later start all over again. So for all of those frustrated parents out there battling the meat battle with us........there is a method that works! Make it a game and dinner is much easier! LOL This is not of dinner tonight......but it is of him eating at Matthews B-day!

Buttons and Brads and Eyelets Oh My!!!!

I sure do love our accessories! They really do just add that extra touch to the already perfect cards and projects we make. And so many times we focus on the girly girl! Well this one is totally boy......and I love this set, Ahoy Matey! This is the set I used to make Matthews birthday card too. I borrowed it from Rita......and absolutely fell in love with it. So, I'm sure that it will join the collection soon. The Ahoy Matey set, and a few of the new rhinestone brads, use your earthtones and you are set! Let me know what you need to order and I'll help ya gladly!

Enjoy this sample, I have to go and prepare more for my class this weekend. Yes......24 hours to go......time to start prepping LOL! You all know that is when I do my best work hee hee hee! I have a few spots left for Tuesday day and night, so if you haven't signed up yet.....give me a holler, I still have time to cut :P